I E-Mailed a local Toyota dealer because they had an ad that said 6 new 2006 Prius read for delivery. I said to E-Mail back but anyways the internet salesman for that dealership called and told me that the ad was a mistake. Then he said so, are you looking for an 05 or 06? I told him 06. He said, you know, if you wait for an 06 you don't get the 5 year Roadside Assistance and there is also no difference between 05 and 06. I should've told him the differences between the 05 and 06 but I was too busy so I just said yeah I just want an 06. Hey was either playing dumb and wanted to sell his 05's quick or he really didn't know there were changes for 06. Anyways I thought it was funny. Thanks for all the great 2006 information PriusChat!
Doesn't sound like he was clueless. He knew enough about the loss of the road-side assistance that he's probably fairly well informed. That's a positive selling point for the '05 over the '06--which he was trying to get you to buy. It's a decent gamble for him to play dumb about the new features of the '06 if he's trying to clear his stock of '05s off the lot. If you'd have come back with an interested "oh, really!" He'd have pushed you toward the '05. I suspect he's fully aware of the new features, but they don't help him get rid of '05s...the lower price and addition of the roadside assistance does.
Of course he thought the Roadside Assistance was a 5-year plan when it was a 3-year plan... However, the '06 really is still the same basic car as the '05, with only a few new enhancements. The real difference is not what car it is, but when you accept delivery of it, IMHO. That more than makes up for the loss of any Roadside Assistance plan!
The truth of the matter is that most of us won't even use the roadside assistance anyway. No opportunity. Now, if they offered a full concierge service, such as booking hotel rooms when on the road or providing dining suggestions when out of town, I would probably use it.
